The town's name, according to local sources, derives from the name of the hospice of monks of the Holy Spirit built in the XII century, near the coast of Cape Dance, even though it was known as Villa Danci and then Borgum Novum. It is a town in the province of Savona, located at the feet of Mount Piccari, near the mouth of the river Varatella, close to the town of Loano. The vineyards and farmlands near to the coast, propose a dotted line which offers a wonderful view. Its economy is dedicated to tourism, the cultivation of olives and fruit.
Founded in 1288 by the inhabitants of Albenga, after their edit "villae novae", in which they built new districts to control better the territory. A few years, fortified walls were edified to defend the centre from Loano, a village under the control of the Doria family, with whom disagreements arose. Around the year 1300, it was acquired by the Doria family and annexed the territory of the Republic of Genoa. In 1637, thanks to the courage of the locals and the strategic control of the walls, the inhabitants defeated the assault of the pirates. In 1800 the town underwent a brief occupation by Austria, and like many other towns in Liguria, it submitted the invasion of the French and after the Congress of Vienna it was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia and then to the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. In the second half of the XX century it flourished with a significant urban development.
Not to miss:
St. Matthew's Parish Church built in the XVII century. It presents a two-tone façade, embellished with columns and beautiful squares. It is flanked by a Baroque Bell tower.
The Borelli castle built in the XIX century on the slopes of Cape Holy Spirit. It overlooks the coast and stands on a rock, surrounded by vegetation which enhances and highlights.